As Adi Sankara was proceeding towards his
final journey deeper into the Himalayas, never to return, his disciples requested him to offer one last message from him.
Adi Sankara spoke thus:
1. वेदो नित्यमधीयतां तदुदितं कर्म स्वनुष्ठीयतां
तेनेशस्य विधीयतामपचितिः काम्ये
मतिस्त्यज्यताम्।
पापौघः परिधूयतां भवसुखे दोषोऽनुसन्धीयतां
आत्मेच्छा व्यवसीयतां निजगृहात्तूर्णं
विनिर्गम्यताम् ॥ १ ॥
Let the Vedas be constantly studied and repeated. Let
the activity as instructed in the Vedas by it be performed well.
Let the worship of good be by that (proper
performance of activities prescribed in the Veda).
Let the motive, thought in desireful
activity be dropped. Let the accumulation of sin be detached.
Let the defect in momentary happiness be thought
over.
Let the longing quest for the self be steadied.
Walk out of your house ( attachment) completely and soon."
2. सङ्गः सत्सु विधीयतां भगवतो
भक्तिर्दृढाऽऽधीयतां
शान्त्यादिः परिचीयतां दृढतरं कर्माशु
सन्त्यज्यताम्।
सद्विद्वानुपसृप्यतां प्रतिदिनं तत्पादुका
सेव्यतां
ब्रह्मैकाक्षरमर्थ्यतां श्रुतिशिरोवाक्यं
समाकर्ण्यताम् ॥ २ ॥
Let association be with the good and wise
people. Let deep devotion to the Almighty be well planted.
Let there be mental peace, so one be more
firmly and in all respects accumulated. Let activity ( for material and lower desires)
be abandoned without delay and altogether.
Let a Knower of Sat (Truth) be approached
with respect. Let his sandals be served every day.
Let Brahman (the Absolute) which is ever
one and undecaying be asked for. Let the Upanishad passage be well listened
to."
3. वाक्यार्थश्च विचार्यतां श्रुतिशिरः पक्षः
समाश्रीयतां
दुस्तर्कात्सुविरम्यतां श्रुतिमतस्तर्कोऽनुसन्धीयताम्।
ब्रह्मास्मीति विभाव्यतामहरहर्गर्वः
परित्यज्यतां
देहेऽहंमतिरुझ्यतां बुधजनैर्वादः परित्यज्यताम्
॥ ३ ॥
The significance of the (Upanishad) passage
must be enquired into. (In doing so) the standpoint of the Upanishad must be
strictly struck to.
There must be complete cessation of using (misleading
or fallacious) reasoning.
Logic approved by (which is in consonance
with) the Veda must be reflected upon.
The concept of "I am Brahman"( Aham Brahmasmi) ( The Supreme Being/ The Paramatma within) must
be deeply contemplated upon.
Day by day pride (the sense of egoism) must be
left behind.
The senses of 'I' in the body must be
thrown off. Hostility with learned people must be avoided.
4. क्षुद्व्याधिश्च चिकित्स्यतां प्रतिदिनं
भिक्षौषधं भुज्यतां
स्वाद्वन्नं न तु याच्यतां विधिवशात्प्राप्तेन
सन्तुष्यताम्।
शीतोष्णादि विषह्यतां न तु वृथा वाक्यं
समुच्चार्यतां
औदासीन्यमभीप्स्यतां
जनकृपानैष्ठुर्यमुत्सृज्यताम् ॥ ४ ॥
The disease known as hunger must however be
treated. Every day, the medicine, namely the food obtained must be taken in.
But tasty food must not be asked for. One
must be well content with what s/he gets by force of fate. ( This means we need to eat what we get without complaining about the food and without criticizing the cook -most of the cases it will be our own Mothers, Grand Mothers, spouses)
Heat and cold and others (pairs of
opposites) must be well borne with.
The state of indifference must be ardently
wished for.
The senses of pity and censure in people
must be given up"
5. एकान्ते सुखमास्यतां परतरे चेतः समाधीयतां
पूर्णात्मा सुसमीक्ष्यतां जगदिदं तद्बाधितं
दृश्यताम्।
प्राक्कर्म प्रविलाप्यतां
चितिबलान्नाप्युत्तरैः श्लिष्यतां
प्रारब्धं त्विह भुज्यतामथ परब्रह्मात्मना
स्थीयताम् ॥ ५ ॥
Sit comfortably in a lonely place. Let the
mind be fixed firmly on the Highest. Let the Ever Full Self be well and clearly
perceived.
Let this fleeting universe be realised as
negatived by that (the ever Existent Self).
Let the results of all previous actions be completely
dissolved by the force of knowledge.
Let not those which come later (the actions
performed after the attainment of knowledge) attach themselves(and yield fruit).
Let however the store of actions which have
begun to bear fruit be exhausted by their fruit being experienced here and now itself
(when the embodiment subsists).
Afterwards (when that store has worked
itself out and the embodiment ceases to be) stay as the ever inherent Highest Brahman."
HariOm.
Compiled by Mukund Bharadwaj, Student of H Parameswara Iyer ( aka Sekhar Anna) a champion of the Vedas.
